Kim Il

1912 – He was born on the 15th day of April this year in Nam-ri, KophyOng District, Taedong County, South P'yOngan Province (currently the MangyOngdae area of P'yOngyang).

1920 – His family was active in opposition to the Japanese, and in this year, they fled to Manchuria, where he became fluent in Chinese.

1931 – He had joined the Chinese Communist Party.

1941 – He became a commander this year.

1945 – He returned to Korea, in September this year, with the Soviet forces, he was assigned by the Soviets as head of the Provisional People's Committee.

1948 - He held the posts of Prime Minister from this year until 1972.

1950 – He was seen as an orthodox Communist leader. He rejected the USSR's desalinization and began to distance himself from his sponsor, including the removal of any mention of his Red Army career from official history.

1956 - Anti-Kim elements encouraged by de-Stalinization in the Soviet Union emerged within the Party to criticize Kim and demand reforms.

1960 – He instituted a brutal purge, executing some opponents and forcing the rest into exile. When the Sino-Soviet split developed this year, he initially sided with the Chinese but never severed his relations with the Soviets.

1962 – He married Kim SOng-ae, and it was believed, that he had three or four children with her: Kim YOng-il, Kim KyOng-il and Kim P’yOng-il. Kim P’yOng-il was prominent in Korean politics until he became ambassador to Hungary.

1972 – He proclaimed a new constitution December this year.

1980 – He publicly designated his son as his successor October this year.

1994 – He died on the 8th day of July this year in P’yOngyang, North, Korea because of heart attack.